Humans and dogs share the same language area in the brain

We, as pet owners, know by heart that our dog understand everything we say. And if not, they sure know how to make it up really well.

However, science is discovering now that dogs’ brains are wired in similar ways to those of humans.

Researchers from Hungary's MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group have scanned human and dog brains while they are conscious and found the same brain regions light up when certain sounds and tones of voice are heard.

This group of scientists trained 11 dogs to lay motionless in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner so that they could accurately capture brain images.

While the furry friends were in the scanner, they listened to recordings of nearly 200 dog and human sounds, including whining, crying, playful barking and laughing.

When the experts compared the brain images to those of humans who listened to the same recordings, they found their brain responses were surprisingly similar.

"Dogs and humans share a similar social environment," said study leader Attila Andics. "Our findings suggest that they also use similar brain mechanisms to process social information. This may support the successfulness of vocal communication."

The researchers believe the areas of our brains that process voices evolved at least 100 million years ago, which was when the last common ancestor of dogs and humans existed.

The study is published in the journal Cell Press and you can read more by clicking on the below links.